Minutes from Schoharie County Conservation Association

Minutes from Schoharie County Conservation Association Meeting held at the Middleburgh Rod & Gun Club sponsored by Whitetails Unlimited of Schoharie County on Thursday June 26th at 7:00 PM. Fellow Sportsmen & Sportswomen *Attendance is needed from each club for their input on club activities*

The meeting was called to order at 7:22. There were 14 in attendance. Bob Britton made a motion and second by Dewey Irving to accept the minutes. Bob Britton made a motion and second by Joe Moore to approve the Treasurer’s report and pay bills. We still have the SCCA hatpin available. To get a pin you must attend a SCCA meeting and be an associate SCCA member or a member of a dues paying club. Plans were again discussed for the SCCA canoe raffle held each year at the Cobleskill fair. There will be at seven prizes this year. The tickets have been printed and picked up. Tickets cost was donated by the Family Medical Care Associates 234-8745 (Dr. Burton & Dr. Eckel) Ed Zamjohn is chairman this year. First prize will be the Old Town Canoe, second prize will be a Terry Redlin Print, third prize will be a wildlife, framed print donated by NWTF, fourth prize will be a wildlife, framed print donated by Whitetails Unlimited, fifth & sixth prizes will be $100 gift certificates which were donated by Senator James Seward and the seventh prize will be a $100 Saving Bond donated by the Bank of Richmondville. The Fair committee met with the Fair Officials. Our new location at the fair grounds will be by the First Aid booth, which is over near the 4H building. A new SCCA building has been built by volunteers. (Dave Wood, Bill Nelson, Willi Karlu, Gordy Emerson, Duke Mann, Doug Handy, Walt Zeh, Bob Orth, Ed Zamjohn, Gerald Hamm, Charlie Olson, and Mike Zeh. The building is 14’ X 25’with a 6’ porch. Hopefully we will hold our July meeting in it if we can get it completed by this Thursday and get it to the fair grounds. Any donations to help with this expense can be mailed to SCCA P.O. Box 325 Central Bridge, N.Y. 12035. We had several donations so far. We are hoping to get donations from all associate clubs. Members should contact local businesses for donations also. We have the building almost done. Now we have to pay for it. The Cobleskill Fair will be here before you know it!!!! I would like to see each club put together a small file with club information and membership applications along with a point of contact so when the public asked about a club we can give them this info. Still holding off on the computer for the SCCA Secretary. The $1000 limit set by the membership will put a big dent in our finances. Discussion on the tighten security DEP & NYPA waters every since 9/11. Dewey Irving made a motion, second by Ed Zamjohn to ask our County Legislators to add $6000 to pheasant program. Green County has done this several years now. Gordon Emerson is currently been working on the LEP (Leopold Education Project) for the Ed Committee of NYSCC. It looks very good that we will have the very first Facilitator Training in NY here in Schoharie County at the Landis Arboretum on September 22/23. This is the facilitator’s course, the folks that teach the teacher...this is the one that costs $300. Folks who complete this one would qualify to "teach the teacher" class. I think we'll fill this one. Ideally each federation should have one member (leader) come to the facilitator course. SCCA Association Dues: $30 Dues for associations & $10 for individual memberships. Please send to SCCA, P.O. Box 325 Central Bridge, NY 12035. Some Clubs & many members are in the arrears!!! Guest Speaker DEC – Norm McBride Reported on 2006 diary program on Schoharie Creek. Program will continue in 2007. Need larger returns from co-operators. VHS regulations – sample taken from Mohawk, Otsego Lake, and Goodyear Lake. (Waiting on test results) Confirmed in St. Lawrence

1 River and all Great Lakes. Bait fish regulations continue. Reported on Eastern Brook Trout Study. 39 streams checked so far. 12 with and 9 without. All tributaries of Schoharie Creek. Mohawk tributaries will be checked next. Reviewed stocking of Otsego Lake (40,000 this year.- one more year then stop - Five year program). NYS is switching over from stocking NY Land locked Salmon strain to Maine Salmon strain of Salmon. Should take about 5 years. Reported Walleye catch was good last year in Schoharie Reservoir. Only one ECO for Schoharie County (Keith Isles) Mike Terrel is being transferred from Delaware County. Reviewed stream management for Manorkill. Meandering vs. channeling. Hunter Safety Courses: Held at Middleburgh Rod & Gun Club Bow Course Scheduled For: Pre-registration: July 16, 2007 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Course Date: July 23 & July 24 from 6:00 pm to 10:00 pm Gun Course Scheduled For: Pre-registration: Aug 20, 2007 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Course Date: Aug 27, Aug 28, Aug 29 from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm Second Dates: Gun Course Scheduled For:Pre-registration: Sept. 17 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Course Date: Sept. 21 from 6:00 pm to 9:30 pm & Sept. 22 from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm Guan Ho Ha Rod & Gun Club located in Glenville has several hunter education classes scheduled but they are not listed on the DEC site yet (link follows http://www.dec.ny.gov/outdoor/9191.html ) Firearms course - August 21,23,28 and 30 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM call Dave Wright 399-5942; Firearms course - September 17,19,24 and 26 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM call Butch 372-9594; Bowhunter course - September 6 and 8 th 6:00 PM to 9:30 PM call Mike Carpenter 374-9059; NYS DEC Reports: Gerald Barnhart, Director, NYSDEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources 06/28/07 Friends, I have decided to retire effective close of business, August 10, 2007. My association with the Department of Environmental Conservation, which began in 1968 when I worked as a Camp DeBruce Conservation Camp kitchen helper with the then New York State Conservation Department, has been an incredibly rewarding experience. It has provided me with the opportunity to contribute, at least in some small way, to conserving natural resources and serving the people of our great state. I am grateful to have been part of a compelling cause and a great agency, and to have worked with some of the most talented and committed conservationists on the face of the planet. Now it is time for me to move on to a new challenge. My wife Mary and I own a small farm in Southern Washington County. It is a lovely spot with a wonderful mix of tillable land, woodlots, and small marshes. The rolling hills support abundant deer, turkeys and grouse and the marshes produce a couple broods of wood ducks each year. Looking west across the Hudson to Saratoga battlefield or north to Lake George and the Champlain valley, the connection to history is palpable. As I’ve aged it has grown increasingly difficult to leave this place. So, I’ve decided to stop doing that on any regular basis. Soon the farm will be the home of Victory View Vineyard and the site of my next career. We plan to grow grapes, make wine, and raise a few steers. Mary says that her job will be official wine taster - no planting, no pruning, no picking, no stomping, and, most of all, no chasing steers outside the fence! I hope to speak individually with as many of you as possible before I leave. For now, please know that working with you has been one of the real joys of my life. And, keep your eyes peeled for the 2012 vintage of Revolutionary Red! Warmest regards, Gerry

Regional Director for Region 4 has been appointed. His name is Gene Kelly who replaces Steve Schassler. Gene is an attorney who has worked on NYS DEC Environmental issues in the past.

2 Fetus Report: This information is on the road kill, deer fetus survey, which SUNY Cobleskill is helping NYS DEC with. The basic count for Region 4 is: Total # deer was 217 with 70 Fawns, 39 Yearlings and 108 Adults (2 1/2+). A more detailed report with more information will be in next month’s newsletter hopefully. Jeffrey Peil, the Wildlife Biologist / Sportsman Education Coordinator supplied this info. Here is more info on the fetus survey: Just a brief summary at this point: Region 4 Study Area Fawns 70 Yearlings 39 Adults (2 1/2 and older) 108 Total # 217 Count by County: ALBA 28 SCHE 14 SCHO 44 DELA 46 GREE 21 MONT 5 OTSE 56 RENS 2 COLU 1 Western NYS Study Area Regions (8 + 9) Fawns 52 Yearlings 36 Adults (2 1/2 and older) 97 Total # 185 More details to present at the SCCA August meeting. Jeffrey Peil, Wildlife Biologist/Sportsman Education Coordinator 1130 North Westcott Road Schenectady, NY 12306 Ph: (518) 357-2152 Fax: (518) 357-2460 VHS found in Central NY

Samples of the deadly fish disease is found on northern end of Skaneateles Lake, one of NYS Finger Lakes. DEC is not certain how the virus is getting into waterways such as Skaneateles. Or, how long the fish kill in the lake will continue. There's no treatment. The disease thrives in water temperatures of 40 to 59 degrees. Most of the fish kills in other lakes and waterways - including Lake Huron, Lake Erie, Lake Ontario and the St. Lawrence River. Skaneateles is the second Finger Lake in which the virus has been identified. Last summer, a large kill of walleyes was recorded at Conesus Lake, the most westerly of the Finger Lakes, south of Rochester. It has been reported in the spring and late summer when lake waters are generally in that range. NYS Fish & Wildlife Management Board: First Region 4 FWMB meeting ever held outside of Schoharie County. The meeting was held at Glimmerglass State Park, which is at the north end of Otsego Lake, a ten- mile long lake with Cooperstown at the south end of the lake. The reason for the meeting location was to bring attention to the fact of very small access for launching boats on the lake. The meeting was called to order around 5:00 PM with about 30 people in attendances. Assemblyman Bob Reilly, Assemblyman Peter Lopez and Assemblyman William Magee’s aide, Troy Waffner attended. Along with these political representatives there were several NYSDEC representatives there. {Gerry Barnhart and wife (Director, NYSDEC Division of Fish, Wildlife and Marine Resources), Peter Innes (Natural Resources Supervisor), Dick Henry (Big Game Manager), Scott Van Arsdale (Secretary for Region 4 FWMB), and Steve Lawrence (Supervisor of Fisheries- Region 4)} Patricia Arnold (Chair of NYS FWMB) and Harold Palmer (President of NYSCC) were also there. The meeting started with a tour of the existing car top boat launch site. This site is basically a shallow water area with a dirt bank, no dock to tie off to and only room for about three vehicles with trailers for

3 parking. The water depth is only about two feet depth and muddy. When Glimmerglass State Park was built there were plans to build a regular boat launch then but because of local opposition the launch was delayed and was never built. Because of the very poor access to Lake, In 1992 NYSDEC dropped stocking to 50% of the allotted fish it would normally stock. Sportsmen/women who want to fish Otsego Lake have to launch their boat and have someone move the trailer to a different lot, if you can find space and then get picked up at a different point. Otsego Lake is a spring fed lake located in Cooperstown, New York. It is 10 miles long and reaches depths up to 165 feet, an excellent cold water fishery. This lake has some of the best smallmouth bass fishing in the state. There is excellent fishing for Brown and Lake Trout with Landlocked Salmon as well. The fishery is comparable with Lake Ontario, Seneca Lake, Cayuga Lake or any of The Finger Lakes, but it is located on the eastern side of the state between the Catskill Mountains and The Adirondacks, just 3.5 hours from Tapan Zee Bridge. June and July are popular times to fish Otsego Lake for salmon and trout in the early morning hours, and then small mouth bass later in the morning. Two years ago Senator Seward sponsored a legislative bill limiting the size (length) to 16’ boat launch. We, SCCA supported this legislation, thinking that this state launch would be better than the poor car top one that exists today. This legislation bill was voted on and passed by the Senate & Assembly along with our past Governor Pataki signing the bill into law. Now we see that this was just that. Another restriction making sure that any new launch built by the state on Otsego Lake would be limited to a 16’ length. Gerry Barnhart said he would discuss this issue, limited access on Otsego Lake with our new Commissioner, Pete Grannis. Bob Reilly said he would report the poor access to Jenny Fields, head of the committee in the NYS Assembly, for Fish & Wildlife. Other business covered at the FWMB meeting was: Pete Innes gave us an update on the Habitat/Access Applications being extended with more applications submitted by Regions 6 & 7. No projects selections finalized yet. Ash bore disease has been found in Pennsylvania. Quarantine by cutting every ash tree within ½ mile. Colgate Lake (replacing dam) closed for the summer, being drawn down, and removing trees. Steve Lawrence gave a brief history on a study being conducted on the Eastern Brook Trout along the Atlantic Eastern Coast. This study is being funded by Federal Money. Stream samplings are currently being conducted on the Northern end of the Schoharie Creek (Gilboa area). Also examined the Cold water release from the Gilboa Dam into the Schoharie Creek. Steve reported the discovery of Z-bra Mussels in the Otsego Lake. Steve also reported the stocking of an extra 200, two-year-old trout in the Cobleskill Holding pond. Dick Henry gave a brief report on the Black Bear population study using biomarker rings in teeth. By doing this it marks the bear’s location. He reported on the new NYS Game/Guide book, Bear complaints on the increase and the coyote study (four with radio collars). Harold Palmer stated that the NYSCC would initiate a letter in support of a new boat launch at Glimmerglass State Park. Pat Arnold gave a brief review of the Youth Mentor Program, reported on the Mission of the FWMB, reviewed the importance of the Habitat/Access Program and asked that we all pick up a youth and take them fishing or to educate them in the sport of hunting. New York State Conservation Council: It looks like Harold Palmer has asked Walter Bennet to reconsider his resignation as Director of Region 4 of the NYSCC. Walt called me and told me he would give me an update soon. Maybe at the next Region 4 meeting things can get straighten out. Received an e-mail from the secretary of the NYSCC as follows: CALL FOR NOMINATIONS FOR OUR 27TH AWARDS PROGRAM

4 The New York State Conservation Council, Inc. (NYSCC) is asking for your help in identifying New York State's outstanding conservationists for our 27th Awards Program. This is an ideal opportunity to honor those who have worked long and hard for our natural environment and who may not have been recognized for their efforts. Nomination Procedure: 1. Nominations are open to residents or groups in New York State, both professional and volunteer. 2. A nomination may be submitted by an individual, a club, or an organization. 3. Affiliation with the NYSCC, Inc. is not necessary. 4. Nominations must be for individuals or groups that have been active during the past year and have exhibited ongoing interest in conservation. 5. Please furnish complete information about the nominee. Make it informative and to the point. Give facts, dates and accomplishments which support that nomination. Documentation is helpful. 6. Nomination Deadline: August 20, 2007 7. Presentation Date: Awards will be presented at the 74th Annual Meeting of the New York State Conservation Council on September 14, 2007. 8. Award Categories: 9. Volunteer Conservationist -- For outstanding conservation achievements and significant contributions by a volunteer to the cause of conservation of the state's natural environment. 10. Professional Conservationist -- For outstanding conservation achievements by a professional in any field, including but not limited to fish, wildlife, forest, water, air or soil management.

11.  Youth Conservationist -- For a youth or group of youths under the age of 19 who have demonstrated outstanding leadership and accomplishments in some phase of conservation. 12. Conservation Educator -- For an individual (professional or volunteer) who has exhibited outstanding achievement in educating others in conservation. Nominees should have demonstrated recognized methods directed toward the wise use and management of our natural environment. 13. Outdoor Education Program -- For programs which exhibit worthwhile efforts in conservation awareness. These programs may be of any size or duration. Be sure to include age levels of participants. 14. NYSCC President’s Award -- For outstanding achievement by a member club. 15. Outstanding NYSCC Member -- Awarded to one Council member who does more than just attend meetings; works for the betterment of NYSCC by using a considerable amount of time and effort to educate sportsmen and the general public about the Council, promote the Council’s message on various issues, and secure funding for the NYSCC. 16. Lifetime Achievement -- Awarded to individuals who have dedicated many years to working for conservation and the interests of sportsmen, women and youth. 17. Note: The NYSCC Awards Committee reserves the right to change nomination categories based on information presented. In the event nominations fail to meet the requirements for state-wide recognition, the Awards Committee will have the prerogative to withhold any award. 18. Be sure all nominations include a cover sheet with the following information:  Award Category  Name, Address & Phone for the nominee and the nominator  What supporting documentation must be returned to the nominator Mail applications to: NYSCC, 8 East Main Street, Ilion, NY 13357. Remember the deadline: August 20, 2007.

5 Conesville Rod & Gun Club: Concern about the supervision on the youth hunts this fall. Early season birds are being released. Birds are being shot by older hunters. Whitetails Unlimited Next meeting will be on August 6th at the Middleburgh Rod & Gun Club to discuss our Fund Raiser/ Banquet which will be held on September 23rd at the Best Western. Tickets are available from John Bloomer, Mike Zeh, Ernie Ostrander, Steve Summerfield or Bill Nelson. Our National Headquarters is celebrating our Silver Anniversary (25th) this year so there will be several items with a special 25th logo. Our website address is: www.schoharie-conservation.org/memberclubs/scwu.html. Coby Fish & Game Club: Running fund raiser raffle – 1st prize John Deer Tractor/Mower, 2nd prize Stihl MS170 (14”) Chainsaw, 3rd prize is Stihl 145 Weed Trimmer. 1st Prize provided by K.C. Canary Fultonville, Inc. 2nd & 3rd prizes donated by Kelley’s Farm & Garden. Drawing will be held the 1st Monday in November at monthly meeting. Tickets are $5 and are available at Progress Land (Cobleskill Fair week) and NY Power Authority in September. Call Joe Moore 234-2891. Next meeting is 1st Monday in August @ 7:00 VFW building on Rte. 10 next to School bus garage.

Central Bridge Fish & Game Club– Skeet shooting is open to the public on Sunday at 9:00 a.m. sharp on mornings all year weather permitting. Contact Jim Mansheffer at (518) 868-2576. The club also sponsors the Schoharie Pistol Team that uses the range at the clubhouse. The team is looking for shooters. For info http://www.schoharie-conservation.org/memberclubs/cbfgc.html

Middleburgh Rod & Gun Club : Trap shoots continues on Friday nights beginning at 6:00 PM. Next weekend there will be a NYS Wide Muzzleloader Event July 27, 28, 29 at the club. Remember, lock the gate behind you, going in & coming out. The computer keeps track. Any damage done while on your watch, you can be blamed!!!! For more information check out the club’s website address. www.middleburghrg.com.

West Fulton Rod & Gun Club : The club is still working on moving the old school house. Because National Grid will not assist with electrical wires, the roof must be removed so there is clearance during movement down to West Fulton from Vininton. A new book is available on the history of the Town of Fulton written by Gerald Hamm. The cost is about $20. Contact Town Clerk, Liz Coons.

The SCCA meeting was adjourned at 9:50 PM. SCCA website address is http://www.schoharie-conservation.org/ My e-mail address is [email protected] Please send any information, which I will try to include in future SCCA newsletters. I appreciate all the help I can get. Mike

Need to follow up on: Talked to Harold Palmer about sending the address so the letter can be sent to Remington Arms. Ray Zeh made a motion and second by Duke Mann at April meeting to write a letter to Remington Arms for financial support for NYSCC for Grassroots Newsletter. The July meeting of the SCCA will be held at the new Cobleskill Fair Display Building July 26 th , 6:00 PM.